EMPulse

by Deborah D. Moore

  ***

  Kyle smirked. His hearing was acute. So Adele’s new boyfriend has power back on. Good to know.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “We’ll wait for you here, Sheriff,” Jeff said, parking in front of the café. “Please don’t be too long.” He held Adele close, making small circles on her back. “The sheriff is a good man; he’ll figure out what to do with Kyle. We get back to the dome and you’ll be safe again.”

  “Will I? He found me once. He won’t stop until I’m dead.”

  “I won’t let that happen, I promise.”

  The sheriff knocked on the side window, causing them both to jump. He got in the passenger side and closed the heavy door.

  “I’ve got three deputies and the mayor in back. Every one of them is a crack shot. I’ll explain my plan on the way.”

  Jeff followed his own tracks up Hog Back Road through a light, misty rain. The old truck held steady to the pavement the melting snow exposed.

  “The house where we saw the snowmobiles is a quarter mile up on the left,” Jeff said to the sheriff.

  “Stop here. Give us about ten minutes to get near the house, then drive on past. If they follow, they’ll be boxed in between us. If they don’t, we’ll still take them by surprise. After you drop off Adele and the medications, come back for us. We will either need the extra gun or a ride home,” the sheriff said, getting out of the truck.

  Jeff took off, going a bit faster than he did coming down. When they got to the edge of the snow slide, he gave the old Chevy a bit more gas and plowed through his tracks only to get stuck halfway.

  “Damn! We’re stuck again. Adele, you take the medical kit to Chet, I’m going back to help the sheriff. When we’re done there, his men can help me get out of this.”

  “But—”

  “No buts, Adele, please, just do it. Save Aaron. Now go.” He kissed her soundly and she got out, hiking the short distance back to the domes.

  Jeff put the truck in reverse and backed up as far as he could, utilizing the downhill momentum and gravity to his advantage. When he finally cleared the drift, he turned around and drove back to the Cummings’ house.

  ***

  Adele trudged through the slushy snow, staying in the deep tracks left by the truck. She tucked the medical kit inside her jacket to allow both hands to be free to help keep her balance. When she spotted the office dome, she picked up her pace.

  “Chet! Where are you?” Adele called out.

  Beth stood from the couch where she had been resting near Aaron. “Chet’s napping. I’ll let him know you’re back.”

  “Hi there, big guy,” Adele said, smiling down at Aaron. “I’ve got the antibiotics for you. Chet will fix you right up. You’ll be better in no time.” Aaron smiled and drifted off again.

  Chet looked through the kit Dr. Cory had put together. “This is terrific.” He filled a syringe with antibiotics and injected it into Aaron’s thigh. “Where’s Jeff?”

  “He went back down the road to help the sheriff. It seems the guys that broke in here were from a larger gang that’s been causing a lot of problems, and that gang is housed only two miles from here,” Adele said. “I’m going back.”

  “Adele, wait!” Chet grabbed her arm. “It’s getting late. I’m sure Jeff would rather you wait here so he doesn’t have to worry about you.”

  “I know you’re right, Chet, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying about him.”

  Chet laughed. “Welcome to the club. We all worry about him.”

  ***

  “With five of us, I think we can surround the house. Two in the back watching the rear in case they try to bolt; one on either side; I’ll take the front. Don’t let a baby face fool you, these are dangerous guys. They’ve committed several murders and raided the pharmacy of vital medicines. It’s shoot to kill,” Claude said.

  “Claude…” Henry cautioned.

  “Mayor, you’re the leader, I’m the enforcer, and right now I’m also the judge and jury. This nest needs to be eradicated. Now go!” When Claude was sure everyone was in place, he called out.

  “This is Sheriff Claude Burns. Everyone inside the house come out with your hands showing!” For the first few moments it was quiet, then there was the sound of glass breaking and a shot rang out, barely missing Claude. He dove for cover behind a fallen tree and returned fire.

  Three of the remaining members of the now leaderless gang took up positions in the front of the house and fired heavily at the sheriff. The four younger members of Cal’s gang, still high on drugs, tried escaping out the back, and were brought down quickly by the deputies waiting for them.

  “You’re surrounded! This is your last chance to come out,” Claude called out.

  The front door opened slowly. One man stepped out onto the once well kept porch, rifle in one hand, held out to the side. A second followed him in surrender. The unseen third man fired at Claude from behind the two others. Henry fired from the side, taking out the shooter, and Claude fired, taking down the two decoys. By prearrangement, the deputies rushed the back door to drive any others out the front.

  “Sheriff, Marcus here! We’ve cleared the house. We’re coming out.”

  The total was seven dead gang members, while the five law enforcement were unscathed.

  “Good job, men! Let’s drag this vermin to the edge of the woods.”

  “Sheriff!” Jeff called out coming up the driveway.

  “Jeff, thanks for coming back.”

  “Sorry I couldn’t make it back sooner, I got stuck in the drift. I sent Adele ahead on foot and should be getting back myself.”

  Looking around, Claude said, “I don’t think we’ll need a ride back after all. We’ll just confiscate these sleds. They’ll come in handy. Winter isn’t over yet. There are six sleds here and only five of us. Why don’t you take one with you? That’s a great truck, though I doubt it can get through everything.”

  They loaded the extra snowmobile into the back of Jeff’s old pickup.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  “Allison? Are you home?”

  “Hi, Mae. What can I do for you?” Allison said, opening the door.

  “I saw the sheriff, the mayor, and a couple more men leave with Jeff in his pickup truck. I thought you might want some company until they get back.” She smiled innocently. “I know I’m not real comfortable being alone, ever since my dad was…”

  “Sure, come on in and have some tea with me. As much as I love both those men, there’s still nothing like some girl talk,” Allison said.

  ***

  “You sit, let me refill the cups,” Mae offered. “The teapot is in the kitchen?” She refilled the cups, took the pot back to the kitchen, and then stood behind Allison, a long filet knife in her hand. With one practiced move, Mae slit Allison’s throat. She then dropped the knife in the sink and left by the back door.

  ***

  The five lawmen happily drove the snowmobiles back into town, veering off to their own homes. Claude and Henry continued onward toward the house they shared with Allison.

  “Honey, I’m home!” Claude called out. He looked at Henry and said, “I’ve always wanted to say that!” He let out a hearty laugh. He stepped into the dining room and saw Allison slumped over the table, one arm stretched out toward the overturned sugar bowl. “Allison…?” When he stood next to her and saw all the blood, his knees went weak and he went down.

  Henry was quickly at his side and let out a sob when he saw. He pulled at Claude’s arm, trying to get him to stand.

  “She knew not to let anyone in!” Claude cried out.

  “It has to be someone she knew well and wasn’t threatened by,” Henry said, wiping at his own tears. Through the blur he saw what her hand was pointing at. “Sheriff, pull yourself together and come here. Allison left you a clue.”

 
In the spilled sugar was written MAE.

  “Mae? Mae killed Allison? Why?” Claude slumped against the wall, unable to take his eyes off the spilled sugar.

  “Why would she kill all those others?” Henry asked. “Think about it, Claude. Who is the least assuming person in town? Who is likely the most well known person? Who is the one person everyone would open their door for? And who would you least likely suspect? Mae. And you told me right from the beginning that a knife is a woman’s weapon.”

  Claude pushed himself up, anger and hatred covering his grief. He pulled open the front door and ran out, Henry close on his heels. Long strides quickly put him at Mae’s door. He didn’t knock, he didn’t call out. He kicked the door open and drew his pistol.

  “Sheriff! How nice of you to visit me. Would you like some tea?” Insanity clouded her eyes.

  “Why, Mae? Why?” he shouted at her.

  “Why what, Sheriff?” she cocked her head to the side and looked past him to Henry, confused.

  “Why did you kill all those people? Why did you have to kill Allison?” he choked out with a sob.

  She looked back at him, her eyes clearing. “Why NOT?” she bellowed in anger and then laughed. “I take care of people all day long! I have for years! They share their ups and downs with me, but no one listens to me. I hear how happy everyone is. But I’m not happy, and if I’m not happy, no one can be happy and that includes you!” she screeched. Mae lunged at Claude with a knife she was hiding. He pulled the trigger and blew a large hole in her chest.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  “How are you feeling, Aaron?” Jeff asked tentatively. He sat down in a chair next to the couch where his best friend had been resting. It had been three days since they had returned with the antibiotics.

  “Like I was run over by a slow moving truck filled with monkeys,” Aaron replied, trying to sit up straighter.

  “Monkeys?”

  “Well that’s what I smell like, boss-man,” he chuckled. “I can’t wait to take a shower. Chet said I should be stable enough on my feet now. I’m only waiting for the water to heat. My wife even promised to wash my back.” He waggled his dark eyebrows.

  Jeff looked at Aaron with serious eyes. “Chet said it was touch-and-go for a while.”

  “Yeah, I know. The first injection didn’t seem to do much and the second one about kicked my skinny butt. That Z-pack was the turning point. Makes me wonder where that damned knife had been. Except I really don’t want to think about that,” Aaron said with a shudder. “I owe you one, Jeff. Thanks for risking going to town.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. Just get better, or I’ll start docking your pay,” Jeff teased.

  “And that woman of yours—I hear she walked the meds in over the snow slide.”

  “Yeah, she’s really something…”

  “We’ve been friends a long time Jeff, ever since we were kids. I can tell there’s something on your mind,” Aaron pointed out.

  Jeff looked down at the floor, then up at the ceiling. Finally he looked back at Aaron and said, “I’m thinking of asking her to marry me.”

  Aaron’s face split into a wide grin. “Go for it, Jeff,” he said. “Marriage is a wonderful thing with the right person, and I think Adele is your right person.”

  ***

  “Can we talk to you, Sam?” Henry said, broaching a delicate matter.

  “Of course.” Dr. Cory eyed the two men he’d known for many years. “And Claude, I’m really sorry about Allison. She was a fine woman.”

  “Thanks. That’s part of what I need to ask you about,” Claude shuffled his feet. “Did you notice anything, anything at all about Mae that would explain why she did what she did?”

  “No, but I will be the first to admit I was completely distracted by everything going on because of the EMP.” Sam sat on the edge of his desk and ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. “I was losing patients daily. Some needed extended care or equipment that’s no longer available, some couldn’t get the medication they needed. In the last week alone, I’ve lost five children and seven adults from the lack of insulin.”

  “How many total have we lost, Sam?” Henry asked quietly.

  “We lost a lot early on from lack of extended medications, several to suicide, and of course the fire. The total so far is a hundred and seventy-two,” Dr. Cory answered, closing his eyes. “That’s including the two we found at Taylor Mayde’s station, all the thugs, and the ones Mae murdered.” He paused. “I had been treating Mae for depression since the summer. I knew she was having a difficult time adjusting to her father’s dementia and the demands it put on her, but I never would have guessed her to be homicidal, just sad.”

  “I have a theory now taking her depression into account,” Claude said, “so hear me out. If she wanted a way to rid herself of her father and have it blamed on someone else, or at the very least not on her, then maybe the EMP gave her the means. By killing others who lived alone, and having someone else discover them, then she could kill her father and it would be blamed on this unknown killer. She would be rid of him and she would get off scot free.”

  “Why go after Allison then?” Henry asked. “Her father was gone and she was in the clear.”

  “I think I can answer that,” Dr. Cory said. “Certain types of depression are a mask for more that’s going on inside the brain. I think Mae’s brain started to malfunction and part of her started to… enjoy the killing. She couldn’t stop.”

  “Well, she’s stopped now, and don’t ask me to feel sorry for her.” Claude stepped out into the unusually warm February air so the others wouldn’t see his tears. Losing his wife was hard. For some reason, losing Allison was harder. A big piece of him was gone.

  ***

  “Claude, with everything else going on, I forgot to mention that our Mr. Polez is missing,” Dr. Cory said when he and Henry joined the sheriff on the front porch.

  “What do you mean, missing?”

  “I came downstairs this morning for his physical therapy and he was gone. He’s been doing well with walking and keeping his balance, so it’s possible he’s only out taking a walk with this nice weather. He can’t get far. He’s doing well, not great, and fatigues easily.”

  “I thought you were going to keep him more sedated,” Henry said, alarmed by the news.

  “I have been. He’s not a prisoner though. Henry, do you think Ms. Michaels is in danger?” the doctor asked.

  “That depends on whether or not his amnesia is real.”

  ***

  Kyle had found his clothes in a box under the bed. With a couple of toes missing the boots were a bit loose, so he stuffed a torn up washcloth inside to keep them from tripping him up. The floppy fingertips of the gloves unnerved him and fueled his anger.

  Before the doctor came for his therapy, Kyle dressed, put two bottles of water in his jacket pockets, and slipped out the front door.

  He caught on quickly that the doctor was giving him more medication, not the same in smaller doses as he’d professed. It was easy enough to spit out the pills when the doctor wasn’t looking. Kyle wanted a clear head for what he needed to do.

  He strolled casually down the street, noticing no one paid any attention to him. This pleased him. He limped down the alleyway behind the Wilderness Outfitters. After breaking a window to get in, he filled a backpack with beef jerky and granola bars that had been overlooked, plus a sweater in case his jacket wasn’t enough. This time he wasn’t going to get caught short if he got cold. Kyle took a hat with earflaps and a pair of sunglasses, then searched for a weapon. A small, short bladed pocket knife was all he found and he shoved it in his pocket. Although he felt entitled to all the items he took, he wasn’t a thief. He removed two one hundred dollar bills from his wallet and laid them on the counter.

  Kyle began his slow, painful walk back up to the domes.

&nb
sp; CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  “Chet, I want to do some cooking, a joint effort between the two of us,” Adele said over a cup of coffee. Jeff, Aaron, and Beth were at the dome office, deeply involved with something secret. “What kind of supplies do we have left?”

  “I thought you would never ask!” Chet rubbed his hands together in delight. As he listed what they had, Adele listened intently, figuring in what she still had in the cupboards. “Jeff said you are a great cook. What do you have in mind?”

  “If you will make up a tomato pasta sauce, I’ll do a chicken stuffed manicotti,” she announced after some thought. “All I need is bread crumbs and those dehydrated shallots.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Sometimes a simple dish can be magnificent. What got me thinking was finding a box of manicotti in the back of a cupboard,” Adele told him. “I had bought a case of canned chicken for putting on salads, however, I didn’t use many before the EMP hit and you were fixing all the fresh or perishable stuff first. For the topping, I’ve only got a small piece of cheese left though. We can do without.”

  “Will some pre-grated parmesan help?” Chet offered. Adele smiled.

  They collected all the supplies needed and set to work in Adele’s dome. Soon, mouthwatering aromas were emanating from her kitchen.

  ***

  With far less snow to wade through, Kyle made it to the Geo Dome Resort in five hours. His feet and toes throbbed relentlessly from the long walk. Try as he may to ignore the pain, once he made it to resort, he had to rest or he knew he wouldn’t have the strength to do what he had to do. The hatred and anger boiled up in him and consumed his thoughts. She had to die and so did that new boyfriend of hers. Without snow on the hillside roads now, there weren’t any footprints to give away that he was there or where he went. Hiding in the back seat of a now derelict car, he took one half of a pain pill and slept.